The present invention relates to an ultra lightweight plastic bottle and to a method and apparatus for forming such bottle. In the utilization of plastic bottles for packaging, one of the primary objects has always been to provide a bottle or other plastic package which utilizes as little plastic as possible and still permits the package to reach its intended market intact in a form which is convenient to use. Although attempts have been made to package products in flexible plastic bags including pouches and the so-called bag-in-a-box which has been utilized for packaging wine, for packages of 1 quart to 1 gallon in size, such flexible packaging has seen limited use. The reason for this appears to be that many of the products packaged in those sizes of containers are detergents and other common household products and the consumer desires to have a bottle, preferably one with a handle, for use in packaging such products.
More recently, there has appeared on the market a one-liter film plastic pouch marketed under the name "Enviro-Pak" (Trademark of The Procter & Gamble Company) which is used for packaging a fabric softener concentrate. Upon opening, the entire contents are intended to be placed in a more rigid plastic or other container.